Special Operation
by heartdani
Summary: The fresh cool air she got out in the hall was a welcoming alternative to the now stale and betrayal filled air in Sean's hospital room. Even so, although she could now breathe Anna still couldn't think. She couldn't wrap her mind around what she had just heard and she couldn't even possibly begin to think about the what ifs her mind was beginning to conjure up. Set in 1990
1. Chapter 1 - Revelations and Confesions

**Special Operation**

**Chapter 1**

Robert Scorpio pushed open the door to a private room at General Hospital, a private room where he and his ex-wife Anna Devane have come to visit and talk with a longtime friend, Sean Donely.

"Welcome." Sean says to them in a tone barely above a whisper, he was recovering from a gunshot wound and could barely stay awake, but he needed to get what he had to say off of his chest.

Both Robert and Anna came in and walked over to the bed

Robert took a good look at his old friend "Good to hear you got your voice back."

"Yeah, I heard yours loud and clear in the hall."

Robert threw his hands up, already on edge about this visit "Alright, what little game are we up to now?"

Sean looked at Robert then Anna "No more games my friends, no more games." He lifted a bag off his lap and emptied its contents to reveal coins

Anna was stunned "The thirty pieces." She uttered, the first words to come out of her mouth since entering the hospital room

Sean nodded his head "Right."

"What's all this?" Asked Robert, he was confused as to what Sean could possibly be doing with the thirty pieces

"You know what it is. The WSB symbol for betrayal."

Robert said harshly "That was all over in Bay C." growing more and more agitated with each unanswered question he had in his head

Sean shook his head and took a deep breath "No."

"Yes it was." Insisted Anna "We each took responsibility for what we'd done." She continued looking at Sean and then the thirty pieces

"Right. It's time we set the record straight though, because this time.." Sean picked up some of the coins and held them in his hands feeling the weight of them almost like the weight of his sins "All the pieces belong to me."

Robert and Anna stared at the coins as Sean held them up

Robert walked over to the head of the bed, moving Anna to his side "Now I assume this refers to your current relationship with Faison." He said to Sean

Sean tried to catch his breath "Partially." He said in answer to Robert

"Why didn't you tell us that you had a deal going with him?" Anna asked, this entire scene was making no sense to her. Why would Sean need the thirty pieces to reveal his reasons for his current alliance with Faison?

"This isn't just about the Wellington Collection." Sean spoke trying his hardest to stay calm

"But you knew that the last part of the crystal was in the dog." Robert accused

Sean shook his head "No, no I didn't. All I knew..."

"Why him?" Robert interrupted needing to get his answers faster than Sean was giving them

"All I knew was that Faison wanted it."

Robert was getting angrier by the minute "Why him? Why did you make an ally of yourself with him of all people?"

Anna was beginning to become upset also "You knew what he had on me" her voice was getting louder with each word she spoke "Because of what you were doing, you risked my daughter's life, Sean!"

Sean felt guilty for his role in this mess, and he was only going to feel guiltier after he told Robert and Anna what he had to say "I didn't think it would get this far." he gasped for a breath "And Robin is my godchild, I love her very much."

"Obviously not enough to walk away from whatever it is that Faison had to offer." Said Robert under his breath

Sean lightly shook his head "That's not true. I was trying to protect all of you." He said, trying to convince them of his true motives

"By working with him?"

"I didn't have a choice."

Anna laughed sarcastically "Oh, I thought I was the only one to compromise myself around here, I didn't expect it from you."

"I wanted you to know the truth."

Robert looked at Sean trying his hardest to keep his cool "So why not just tell us?"

Sean sighed "I was hoping I could pull it off by myself, that's why."

"But you could see what it was doing to us Sean. You just stood by and let it happen." Anna was appalled at everything Sean was saying, in the thirteen years she'd known him she never expected this

Sean was beginning to feel weak, he needed Robert and Anna to understand him "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to go through what you went through. Don't you realize what Robert and you mean to me? You're my friends."

Robert felt like they were getting nowhere "Friends trust each other." He turned his back to Sean

Anna moved to touch him but stopped when Sean began to speak again

"Sometimes too much."

Robert made his way back to the bed "Oh, come on. Look, let's get to the point here, alright!" he shouted "These three people have gone through enough secrets together in the past."

Sean spoke "It's about time you knew the truth about my secrets." He breathed and after a long pause finally found the courage to continue "These are things I didn't tell you in Bay C."

Anna looked at him sharply "What do you mean?"

With a tear running down his cheek Sean looked at his old friends "When you two came to me and admitted that you were the double agent and not Swede, I acted surprised, didn't I? But I wasn't."

Robert moved closer to Anna "What are you saying?"

"What do you think I'm saying?"

"You knew all along I was a double agent?"

Sean barely nodded "Yes."

Anna moved away from the bed this time, upset at what she was hearing, while Robert move forward to the head of the bed seemingly to understand better

"There's more" Sean continued "I also knew that you and Robert were married."

Robert's voice grew hoarse "What!" he exclaimed

Sean continued "It couldn't stay that way, it was against the rules. So, I needed a plan. That's where Faison came into the picture. "

Anna could barely breathe "How?"

Sean breathed "You both think that my...my alliance with Faison started here in Port Charles. You're wrong. I made an alliance with him thirteen years ago. That's when I didn't tell you all the truth." His tone was low, but his words shot through to Anna and Robert like bullets

Robert looked at Anna and saw the pain mixed with shock written all over her face, he suspected his face mirrored hers after hearing what Sean just said

Robert moved to the foot of the bed needing to put some space in between Sean and himself, while Anna took that as an opportunity to move closer to Sean needing to hear what he had to say

Anna looked at her old friend "Okay Sean, so you knew that we were married." She prodded

Sean nodded "Yeah, an agent that I was running in Italy at the time..." he said before he was interrupted by Robert who finally seemed to find his voice

"You knew the rules. You knew that agents don't marry. Why didn't you say anything?" he asked

Sean closed his eyes, unable to look at them "Yeah, I knew the rules, but I didn't care. You were my best two agents and I needed you. But before I say anything else, you've got to to remember that we were all different then, especially me." His words were slow but he was getting there opening his eyes to look at them Sean saw their emotions written all over their face "I had no understanding of what a commitment, a real commitment meant to a woman, how you could love one woman. All I loved was the WSB."

Robert looked at the man "What does this have to do with us?"

Sean closed his eyes again "I broke up your marriage." He said after a moment

"No you didn't, no you didn't. It was when he found out I was a double agent, it was over then. It wasn't you." Anna said, insisting that it was her fault and not Sean's

Sean looked at Anna with tears in his eyes "No, I set Robert up. I set him up to find out. I set both of you up."

Robert moved forward stunned "What!" he exclaimed almost simultaneously with Anna

Anna gasped, she instantly felt sick to her stomach. What she was hearing couldn't possibly be true

Sean continued "I needed you. You were my best agents. I couldn't afford to lose you."

Anna looked up at Robert needing confirmation that what she was hearing was real and when he was unable to look at either her or Sean she knew it was.

"What happened?" Robert asked

"I found out that Anna was playing both sides of the fence, working for me and Faison." Sean answered, ashamed at the answers he would now have to give

Robert was thinking "Wait a minute, wait a minute." he glanced at Anna for a second before continuing "Now you sent me out to find a double agent... a double agent... and you knew all along that it was Anna?"

Sean nodded "Right."

"You knew that would destroy us, didn't you?" Anna asked, she didn't want to hear anymore but she needed to

Sean was trying his hardest not to cry "Yes. I didn't care. I wanted you back. I needed you both together. So I was willing to do just about anything to... accomplish that. That's where Faison... and I, we made a deal."

Anna spoke almost emotionless "You made a deal with him for me?"

Sean swallowed "Yeah. In exchange for you, I gave him a way out. I arranged for his fake death certificate... and something else too. I agreed to get him a file, the same file he used for his research on the Lumina crystal."

Robert was bent over the bedside table becoming more exhausted and angry with each revelation "The missing air force file."

"Right."

Anna spoke softly "Oh God. Sean, I thought I knew you."

Robert was still unable to look at either of them, he was too upset "The Swede...The Swede...I accused him...of being a double agent to save Anna."

Anna gripped Robert's arm sick at the thought of the swede "You knew we were lying. You let an innocent man die because of us?"

Sean shook his head "He didn't die."

Robert looked at him sharply, but it was Anna who asked the question "He's alive somewhere?"

"Yeah, I got him a new identity..."

"All these years." Robert was furious "All these years you've let us...how...how could you do that? How could you do that!"

Sean tried explaining to them "I told you, in those days, I didn't know what true romantic love really was. I... I didn't know that real love could change a person." He paused, needing to find the right words for what he wanted to say "I didn't realize that you two... were really meant to be together."

"But you didn't give us that chance. Sean, you've let me think that it was my fault, all these years, that I destroyed our marriage. You let me think that all these years!" Anna yelled, her blood was hot with rage. For thirteen years she carried the guilt of her breakup with Robert alone on her shoulders, for thirteen years Sean let her and Robert believe that she was what tore them apart

Sean was getting weaker "I couldn't lose you both...I couldn't lose you both..." he repeated himself

Robert spoke again "Eight years, eight years I had a daughter, and I didn't even know about it...eight years."

"I not only destroyed your marriage, I destroyed your family. I don't know what I can do to ever make that up to you." He was ashamed at the man he once was

Robert was glaring at Sean now "Neither do I! As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing you can do!"

Anna walked toward the head of the bed where Sean laid "Sean, if Faison hadn't come to town, would you have told us any of this?

He couldn't look at her "Probably not."

Robert looked at him "But you would've continued to let us think that we sent any innocent man to his death"

"But you didn't, the Swede's alive."

Robert shook his head at the man "But we only found that out five minutes ago!" He shouted

Sean tried reasoning "But he's alive. Now I know it's not easy, but let me ask you something, both of you. If you were in my place, what would you have done?"

Both Robert and Anna were quiet

"I can't answer that." She said moving to the foot of the bed

Sean looked from Anna to Robert and back again "You probably both would've stayed together, you lost 13 years because of me. You know, you two really had something special."

Anna nodded her head, trying not to cry

"Something that only comes along once in a lifetime."

Robert and Anna look at one another

"I took it away from you, didn't I?"

Anna stared at something on the wall above Sean's head "Yes you did" she said, her voice breaking

Sean continued as if he hadn't heard Anna "There's a pretty good chance it would've worked. But you know, it's funny... everything that's happened, the three of us, all those years... but the two of you... it stayed...it stayed, it hung there. No matter what went on, there is nothing that could break you two apart, nothing." he looked at them, and then turned away, eyes closed "And if it wasn't for my obsessive attention to duty, you two would've spent your lives together."

Anna couldn't listen to anymore, without a second thought or look to either man she turned on her heels toward the door and left the room.

The fresh cool air she got out in the hall was a welcoming alternative to the now stale and betrayal filled air in Sean's hospital room. Even so, although she could now breathe Anna still couldn't think. She couldn't wrap her mind around what she had just heard and she couldn't even possibly begin to think about the what ifs her mind was beginning to conjure up

Anna hadn't heard Robert exit the room after her, it was only when she felt his arm wrap around her stomach that she knew he was behind her.

Taking a deep breath she rested her head back onto his chest, allowing him to rest his chin in her hair. They were both silent for a full two minutes, neither of them knowing what to say, what could they possibly say to one another?

Robert heard footsteps behind him, it was Katherine "Hi! Hey you two." She said, making them pull apart from one another

"Katie." Robert said surprised to see her

"How's Sean?"

Robert didn't know what to say "Um, he's uh.."

"Hi. He's okay." Anna answered for him not looking at either of them "I have to go" she added quickly before heading for the stairs, too impatient to wait on the elevator

"Did I miss something?" Katherine asked

Robert shook his head "No, no, you're timing couldn't be better. Look, you and I... dinner tonight just the two of us."

"Well, I've got to a lot of things.."

"Please." Robert pouted, he needed something to get his mind off of the last hour

Katherine smiled "Okay, sure"


	2. Chapter 2 - The Morning After

**Special Operation**

**Chapter 2**

Anna felt exhausted as she sat at a round table at Kelly's diner with her daughter Robin. She'd barely gotten any sleep the night before, she kept replaying everything Sean had said in her head. How he'd known about their marriage and that Anna was a double agent

How he'd made a deal with Faison to break her and Robert up.

Twelve hours later the words of his confession didn't hurt any less, they still shot through her like a bullet every time she replayed it in her mind.

For thirteen years she'd believed that she was the sole reason for their divorce and now she was learning it was a set up.

Anna was pulled out of her thoughts by Robin who seemed to have been talking for a while

"So how come daddy didn't stay over last night?" she asked

"Because we have an undercover cop, that's why" Anna answered before taking a sip of her tea

Robin shrugged "I like it when he's around though"

"Well don't get used to it, it was just a one time alright" Robert had slept over a couple nights before when the undercover cop that was on the night shift had failed to show up. Anna had been against it at first but then gave in, figuring that if Desiree did show up it would be better if the both of them were there

But after seeing the looks Katherine had been giving her recently, Anna was beginning to think once again that having Robert around so often wasn't a good idea

"I just said it was nice that's all" Robin countered "So have they caught that lady yet?" she asked

"No"

"You know what I was thinking? Maybe we could stay with daddy" Robin suggested

"No!" Anna insisted

"Just until they catch that lady mom"

"We can't keep bothering your father, alright" Anna didn't mean to sound angry, she was just a little on edge and Robin's suggestions weren't helping

Robin sighed, her mother had been acting strangely distant all morning, and any time she brought up her father it got worse "Well fine, well can we at least take his tie to him? He left it at the house when he slept over"

"No, we can't go over there"

Robin was starting to get frustrated with her mother "Why not?"

"We can't go over there because Kate's there" she answered

"So?"

"Well they need their space, they need some privacy" Said Anna

* * *

Kate had been awake for some time now, listening to Robert breathe. He had been tossing and turning in his sleep all night keeping her awake.

Robert started to move again, and just like before was mumbling words in his sleep. This time though Kate heard distinctively what he was saying

"Mhm Anna… San Remo … together forever…"

* * *

Anna and Robin were still having breakfast at Kelly's

"Mom can I see Uncle Sean? Please?" Robin begged

Anna was unsure at first, but after a moment she agreed "Well alright, come by after school"

"And what about dad's tie?"

Anna was really amazed at how persistent her child was "I'll see that he gets it" she said, hoping that would shut her up and Robert and the tie.

She was wrong.

"You know mom, I wouldn't have said that we should bring it over to him but this is his favorite tie and all of his other ties are dorky"

Anna laughed "Oh I'm sorry I snapped at you I didn't mean it"

"I understand, he's with Kate" Robin said

"Yeah, they don't spend enough time together you know"

"Yeah I understand that but he can stay over sometimes, can't he?" Robin asked, she really did enjoy it when her father spent the night. It made her feel like they were a whole family

Anna shrugged "Well yes he can, but why would he want to?"

"Well we're a family" Robin said simply

Anna sighed "We're not a family" she said but continued after seeing Robin's confused face "Well we are a family but… ugh, you know that because he doesn't live with us that that doesn't mean he doesn't love you"

"Yeah I know, he loves both of us" Robin answered

Anna chuckled "Well he loves you, me on the other hand…"

Robin interrupted her mother before she could say anything more "He loves you too mom, I can tell just by the way that he looks at you"

_"__There's a pretty good chance it would've worked. But you know, it's funny... everything that's happened, the three of us, all those years... but the two of you... it stayed...it stayed, it hung there. No matter what went on, there is nothing that could break you two apart, nothing. And if it wasn't for my obsessive attention to duty, you two would've spent your lives together."_

Sean's words from the night before echoed in her mind, Anna shook her head and gave her daughter a small smile "He tolerates me"

* * *

Robert was awake now, lying in bed he could smell the breakfast Kate had made and he could hear her creeping up the steps to the bedroom

"Hey, you're up" she said once she was fully inside the room "Morning"

Robert sighed "Morning sweetheart"

"I made you breakfast, I figured you would need the energy after last night" she said to him before placing the food in front of him

Robert made a face "Last night?" he asked

"Well I figured you didn't get very good sleep, you were tossing and turning all night" she clarified

Robert shrugged and moved to pick up a piece of bacon "I guess I am a little groggy"

"Well drink some coffee, maybe that will wake you up" Robert didn't say anything, but picked up the coffee cup and took a sip "So I didn't realize spy's talked in their sleep"

"Hmm?"

"Last night you were mumbling words in your sleep" Kate said

"Oh well with this case, it's been kind of stressing on me lately" Robert said trying to be as evasive as he could "Besides us spy's only talk in our sleep to cute blondes" he winked

"How about brunettes" Kate countered

"What?"

She shook her head "Nothing, you just said Anna's name a couple times that's all"

Robert sighed "Well she is a part of the case I'm working on"

"You said something about San Remo, isn't that on the Italian revere next to the French border?" she asked

Robert nodded, it was the place he and Anna had gotten married thirteen years ago, before everything went wrong "Yeah it is"

Kate waited a few moments for him to continue, but when he didn't say anything more she asked "Well did you and Anna have some mission there or something?"

"We had a lot of missions, look what I was mumbling in my sleep last night isn't important, what is important right now is this plate of food that your letting get cold" he said, ending the questions and changing the subject


	3. Chapter 3 - Sparks and Trips

**Special Operations**

**Chapter 3**

Katherine wasn't a fool. She'd known from the moment she met Robert that he and his ex-wife had a lot of unresolved feelings. Feelings that the two of them seemed determined to keep hidden and not discuss

Over the course of her relationship with Robert however, she'd thought those feelings had begun to disappear; they were even going to get married. Or so she thought, but if last night and the last month and a half was any indicator, she was the one that had stopped seeing what was right in front of her.

Kate walked into Delafield's with a hot box of pizza and Robin on her tail

"Thanks for buying me lunch Kate" Robin said to her dad's girlfriend

Kate smiled at the young girl "Oh it was my pleasure"

They walked to a table near the stage and sat down and began talking

"I love pizza" Robin said as she was biting into her first slice

"Yeah you and your father both"

Robin nodded "It's just something about Italian food" she said "Filomena, she was kind of like my grandmother, she said it's because my parents were married in Italy"

Kate looked up from her slice, she'd forgotten that piece of information "Oh yeah in some little town, I think I heard your father mention it once or twice before" she said "What was the name of it?"

Robin swallowed the mouthful of pizza she had in her mouth "San Remo, its right on the Italian revere near the French border"

_"__Mhm Anna… San Remo … together forever…"_

* * *

Robert was walking down the hallways of General Hospital towards Sean's room. He still couldn't stop thinking about his confession yesterday. How he had knew about his marriage to Anna and that she was a double agent.

How Sean had set him up to find out and ultimately destroy their marriage.

Sean sat by for months and years after his divorce to Anna was finalized and watched Roberts's internal struggle and heartbreak. At the time, Robert made it a point to keep his feeling a secret for fear that Sean would find out about the marriage, but Sean had already known.

Now, Robert couldn't help but think about what could have happened.

What if they had stayed married? And raised Robin together as a family, would things be different now? Or would they still be the same?

He had all these questions but no way of finding the answers to them.

Robert hadn't spoken to Anna since yesterday at the hospital, he'd meant to call her last night before he went to bed but decided that it was too late and that she'd probably went to bed. Although if he knew her as good as he thought he did Anna was up all night thinking about it as well.

He walked into Sean's room to find Anna already there waiting

"Oh hi" she said when she saw him

"Hi"

"Sean's just gone for some tests, he'll be back in a bit" she informed him

Robert sighed "How is he?" he asked

Anna shrugged "Fine, good he's um walking"

"Good" Robert said nodding his head

Anna wondered if things were going to become awkward between them, she still hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Robert and get his reaction to everything

"I heard he'd been pitching all the female nurses" Anna said, trying to lighten the mood

Robert gave her a smile "That's a positive sign"

"So how was your evening?"

Robert was distracted lost in his thoughts and barely heard what Anna said "What?" he said, prodding her to repeat herself

"Your evening last night with Kate"

"Oh it was good" he said

"That's good, you two should spend time together" she said, when he didn't respond she went on "Um you know you didn't have to come here today, I think I can handle it myself"

Robert was once again lost in his thoughts "What?"

"This whole thing with Sean, I can handle it by myself"

"Listen Anna I want to neutralize this guy just as much as you do" Robert insisted finally coming from his thoughts

"Yes I know but you've got other things to worry about" Anna countered

"Together" Robert said "Agreed?"

"Yeah" Anna answered, turning back toward the bed she picked up the tie Robin had given her to give to Robert "Um you left this at my house" she said holding it out to him

Robert looked at the tie and reached for it, as he was doing so their hands touched sending a familiar spark through both of their bodies, one that after years of being just friends they had both become very accustomed to

But this time that little spark was one hundred times maximized.

The two exes stared at one another, neither of them knowing what to do or say

Finally after what seemed like forever, Robert tugged at Anna's hand pulling her to him.

Pulling her into to his embrace and wrapping his arms tight around her, Anna mirrored his motions wrapping her arms tight around his waist

"Oh Robert" she said, her words muffled into his chest

He let out a deep breath "I don't know what to say, for thirteen years…"

Anna nodded "I know"

Neither of them made a move for three long minutes, but it was Anna who pulled away first "So um how do you feel about Sean now? You know the friendship and everything?" she asked

Robert sighed "Well the guy lied to us, he lied to us for thirteen years obviously the friendship is gonna be a little different"

They hadn't heard Sean enter the room "I agree" he said, getting their attention "I think it's just going to get better, and I mean that"

"I think that's going to be a little difficult after what you told us last night" Anna said

"I can't blame either one of you for feeling that way, I would feel the same way too" he said "But what I told you is the truth, they're aren't going to be any more secrets. I did what I thought was right at the time, I was wrong." When neither Robert nor Anna said anything he continued "Now let's get down to business"

"Yeah" Robert agreed "We can get down to business, if you will provide us with something on Faison that we don't have"

Anna nodded "Right, we have to shut him up about us for good"

Sean made his way into the hospital bed "Alright, well when he was head of the DVX I was head of the WSB and that means I have a lot on him" he looked at Anna "So do you Anna"

She nodded "And he knows that"

"If we start leaking information of a sensitive nature he's gonna know where it came from" Robert said

"Right and then all he has to do is open his big mouth about us" Anna was pacing back and forth now trying to figure out a way to bring down Faison

"This means we're stepping on shaky ground here" said Robert

Sean sighed "And he's already warned me by sending flowers and a card"

"And he's come to my house to see my daughter" Anna added

"The guys a bomb" Robert commented

"Yes, that's why he has to be stopped" Anna said

Just then Frisco walked into the room surprising the three friends "Who's gotta be stopped?" he asked

"Hey Frisco" Sean greeted him

"What are you doing down here?" Robert questioned him

Frisco looked from Robert to Sean then Anna "Interrupting it looks like" he said

"No no no you're not interrupting at all" Sean tried telling him "Where's that beautiful pregnant wife of yours?" he asked referring to Felicia

"She's getting a checkup" Frisco said before handing a folder to Robert "I ran into Lewis, he wanted me to give this to you, Desiree's dead"

"What?" asked Sean and Anna simultaneously

"Her body was found in Bancock, suicide. Which means she is no longer a treat to Robin"

Robert handed the file to Anna "We'll have to look into it" he said

Anna nodded

"You don't believe it?" Frisco asked

"I just want to spend a little more time studying it" Robert answered him

"Well I could look it more it if you'd like" Frisco offered

"This isn't a matter of the WSB anymore Frisco, this is personal" Robert objected "This woman's crimes were committed in my jurisdiction"

"Hey I have a stake in this too you know, she tried to kill me" Frisco said to them

"You should just leave it alone and let Robert handle it" Anna interjected

Frisco was getting frustrated with them "Just what the hell is going on here?" he asked "Why are you shutting me out of this?"

"You have a pregnant wife you shouldn't be involved in this" Anna said

"Give me a straight answer Anna" Frisco demanded

Anna tone was hard and rising "That is a straight answer you should have nothing to do with this"

"Anna's right" Sean said "This is a time to be with Felicia, she needs you"

"So that's it?"

"Desiree is dead that's all you need to know" Robert told him

"You know for a long time you three you've been keeping something from me, you're not telling me something" he said to them

"Just go to Felicia" Anna said, she hated having to shut Frisco out like this but she didn't want him involved with Faison

Frisco nodded "Fine, call me if you need me" he said before leaving the room

* * *

Anna let out a huge breath as she collapsed onto her bed that night. She'd had a long day at the hospital going over everything she remembered about Faison with Sean. She had a feeling that this was going to be a lot harder than they first thought.

She looked at the time, she'd have to be up tomorrow again to repeat everything.

Anna wondered if this would all be over soon. And what were Faison's true motives? He couldn't just be in Port Charles just for her

She jumped at the sound of the phone ringing; she sighed and picked it up "Hello?" she answered

"I'm at the airport" came a familiar Australian accent on the other end

"Robert? The airport in New York?" she asked

"Mhm, my flight leaves in an hour" he said

Robert was on his way to Thailand to investigate Desiree's death. After what Frisco told them today, he wasn't entirely convinced it was a suicide

"Listen Robert I was thinking, I don't think it's a good idea to go out there"

Robert sighed, Anna had been against his plan to go to Thailand at the hospital but he thought he'd convinced her to go with it "Anna we discussed this"

"Yes I know Robert but you're out there alone, at the very least I should of came with you" she said to him

Robert grinned into the phone "So get dressed" he joked

"That's not funny I'm serious Robert, what if you get in trouble out there" she said to him frustrated "Faison is a dangerous and well-connected man, if he finds out you're out there and you broke the deal…"

"Then I'll call you and you'll come and rescue me, how does that sound?" he interrupted her rant, she was worried and he understood that but Anna needed to understand that he wasn't going to stop until Faison was out of their lives for good

Anna sighed, Robert was taking her as a joke "Did you tell Kate you were leaving?" she asked somewhat changing the subject

"Yeah, she wasn't too pleased about it though"

"That's another reason you shouldn't have went out there, you two don't spend enough time together" she said to him

"Why do you keep saying that? I think we spend a good amount of time together" Robert disagreed

"Then why are you on the phone with me and not her?" she asked knowing she'd catch him

Robert thought about it for a moment, Anna was the person he thought of calling when he picked up the phone, it was just now occurring to him that he should have called Kate "I wanted to ask about Robin, how is she?"

"She's fine, she's sleeping now" Anna answered him, she knew her ex-husband well and knew that he was making excuses "She came by the hospital today after school to see Sean"

Robert was still angry with Sean about his confession "Oh really"

"Yeah, she asked if she could come by and I couldn't think of a good enough excuse for her not to"

"Well at least she got to see him, what did you do for the rest of the day?" he asked

"Went over what I could remember about Faison, that's basically it really." Anna stretched out across the bed holding the phone to her ear "I'm exhausted though"

"Are you okay? About everything" he asked "I didn't really get a chance to ask you"

Anna swallowed, she didn't really want to think about it "I don't know, I guess I have to be you know"

She heard his tone change to a low resigned one "Yeah, too many questions not enough answers"


	4. Chapter 4 - Accusations and Blame

**Special Operation**

**Chapter 4**

Jacques walked down the steps at Wyndemere towards Faison's study. He just got news that Robert Scorpio left the country and thought that his boss would for sure like to hear about it. With the piece of paper that confirmed it in his hands Jacques walked into the study to find Faison sitting behind his desk smoking his signature cigarettes.

"Faison" Jacques said, handing the man the paper "Brennen sent a message from the mainland"

Faison took the piece of paper and read it silently, after a puff from his cigarette he spoke "So Scorpio is out of the country… Find out where he's gone"

"Any ideas? Before I start" Jacques asked

Faison held a finger to his chin giving Jacques a small grin "Just one, if I'm right all our deals are off"

* * *

Anna was on her way to Sean's room to work on getting more information about Faison when she saw Kate exit his room. She sighed, earlier today she'd seen Kate at Kelly's and Kate had given her the cold shoulder. She even turned down her invitation to have a cup of coffee together.

Anna knew exactly why Kate was acting the way she was. This is why she'd been so adamant that Robert spend more time with his fiancé, because just like everyone else in this town Kate was beginning to suspect something more than friendship between herself and Robert. And if Robin wasn't exaggerating yesterday about Kate's facial expression when she mentioned Italy, Anna knew she had to do damage control before she inadvertently caused a rift between another one of Robert's relationships

"Hi" Anna said to Kate "You following me around?" she joked

"Um no" Kate said barely looking up to greet Anna

"Could we maybe have that chat now?" Anna asked her, wanting to talk about Robert and everything that was going on

Kate shook her head looking for an excuse "Uh no I really didn't think I was going to spend so much time…"

"Could we do that please?" Anna interrupted her before she could continue

"Alright"

"Robin said that you two had lunch together and that she'd mentioned Italy and San Remo and that she thought perhaps you were upset and I was just wondering if there was a problem" Anna explained to Kate

"Well let's see" Kate said sarcastically "Robert mumbled that name in his sleep along with your name and the words together forever, so yeah I guess you could say I'd have a problem with that"

Anna didn't know what to say, she hadn't been aware of that piece of information "Oh Kate I'm sorry" was all she could mutter

Kate waved her off "You know what it's okay, it's good that I find these things out now rather than later" she said before she started to walk off

"You know it's easy to misunderstand something like that" Anna said trying to minimize the situation

"No I don't think I misunderstood anything" Kate said turning back toward Anna "In fact I think that Robert- No I know that Robert is still very much committed to you"

"Well yes of course he is" Anna said before she had a chance to process the words in her head but after seeing the look on Kate's face she continued "But that doesn't mean that the two of you can't be happy together"

"Oh please that's exactly what it means" Kate scoffed

"Look as soon as he gets back from his trip you two are going to set about your life together, he wants that more than anything"

"I'm sorry but I can't help noticing that the two of you are even beginning to sound alike" Kate said

"Because it's the truth Kate" Anna insisted

Kate shook her head "You know what I think is the truth? I think Robert wants his family back, You and Robin."

"Katherine it isn't, Robert is just finding the best way that he can to deal with this. I know it's difficult but you've got to understand" Anna said "I am his past you can't change that, but you you're his future"

Kate turned to walk off again but stopped short "I can't live my life this way, and I won't build my future with a man who's living in the past"

* * *

Both Sean and Anna sat on opposite ends of Sean's hospital bed going over file after file on Faison, They'd been going over them for over an hour and Anna was beginning to get frustrated with this whole mess

"Okay, here we go" Sean said while passing a piece of paper to Anna "One more nail in Faison's coffin"

Anna looked up and took the file "Can't we just cremate him?" she half joked

Sean chuckled "What are you working on?"

"Oh I'm still on '77" she said

"Oh good, that was a vintage year for him, go over that one with a fine tooth comb" When Anna didn't say anything he looked up to find her with her head thrown back and her eyes closed "What's the matter?" he asked

"Oh I'm just tired that's all" she said before getting up and starting to pace back and forth "I can't concentrate on this, Kate is upset at me and Frisco is mad, everything is just a mess"

"Oh will you stop this" Sean said getting up too

"And it's my fault you know it's me-"

"Well so what, so it's you so what. How many times did we go over this? You're not the only one okay" Sean tried reassuring her

"Doesn't make me feel any better"

"Look it is nothing compared to what I did to you and Robert, and nothing is going to be good for anybody unless we nail this guy, so we have to keep going alright?

Anna sighed "Yeah, yeah you're right"

"Of course I'm right" Sean said "Now if you keep thinking about that past you're never gonna be able handle the present or the future"

"I know that"

"Okay, so our job right now is to move fast and neutralize this guy before he starts making moves of his own"

* * *

Faison moved silently across the length of his study waiting for news about Robert Scorpio's whereabouts. He was almost certain that Scorpio had flown to Banncock to look into Desiree's death, and when he got the confirmation that Scorpio had broken their deal, he would be free to do as he pleased.

Jacques walked into the study once again, but this time with a small smile on his face "You were right, Scorpio was spotted by our people in Banncock"

Faison grinned and nodded "Banncock, yeah Scorpio is in Banncock to investigate Desiree's death, it's a clear breech of our bargain that is very unwise of him"

"Have you thought about your next move?" Jacques asked

"You know me Jacques, expect the worse and you're better off, if Scorpio chooses to break our bargain then I guess I'm allowed to do the same" Faison said as he was handing a letter to Jacques "Make sure this letter gets delivered".


	5. Chapter 5 - Real and Unreal

**Special Operation**

**Chapter 5**

Robert Sean and Tiffany stood in Sean's hospital room. Sean was finally being released from the hospital today

"What happened in Banncock?" Sean asked Robert

Robert shrugged "Simple confirmation of Desiree's death

"I'm glad she's out of our lives" Said Tiffany

Robert smiled sarcastically at Sean "Well I don't think it's over yet" he said

Sean could tell by the tone Robert was using that he still hadn't forgiven him for the secrets he'd been keeping. He didn't blame the man, thirteen years is a long time to keep a secret especially ones as big as his.

Anna opened the door the Sean room and was greeted by Robert Sean and Tiffany

"Hey the gangs all here" Sean said when he saw Anna

"Hi everybody" Anna said, greeting both Tiffany and Sean with a hug

"I am just so excited that he is going home today" Tiffany said referring to her husband

"Oh I bet you are" Anna laughed

"But you know he's going to have to take it easy with all the investigating activities" she said

"Oh wait now…" Sean protested

"Oh no I don't want to hear" Tiffany responded before Sean had a chance to get his thought out

Anna took this opportunity to ask Robert about Banncock, turning to him she smiled "How was your trip?" she asked

"Lots to tell" he responded under his breath

"No actually I have something to say to all three of you while you're here" Sean said to the group, becoming serious "I wanna say thanks"

Tiffany smiled and rubbed his shoulder "Oh honey we're just glad that you're alive"

"No I mean it, I really do mean it I don't know if I could have pulled through if it wasn't for you three. My magnificent wife and two very very good friends"

Robert coughed "Well, we wouldn't have wanted to lose you"

Sean chuckled "Sweetheart um why don't you go outside and set a fire under somebody so I can be released?"

"That's a good idea, I want you home" Tiffany said before placing a kiss on Sean's lips and exiting the room

As soon as she left the room the trio got to business

"Okay what's the story?" Sean asked immediately

"Desiree's induced suicide was confirmed by the local coroner. It was indeed a poison rather nasty but effective, I had an independent study done and came up with the same thing" Robert explained to Anna and Sean

"And supposedly self-induced?" Sean asked

"Right, she left a note" Robert said while pulling out a notepad from his jacket "'My darling, I could not bare to face the rest of my life on the run or locked up in prison. Either way would mean enduring a lifetime without you. Please don't be angry this is the only way out for me, understand I am thinking only of you with my last breath. All my love, Desiree'" he read the note

"Check the handwriting?" Anna asked

Robert nodded "It's hers"

"And no link to Faison at all?" asked Sean

"Well what would you expect from an old pro?" Robert retorted

"So I take it none of us believe it was a suicide?" Anna inferred

"Of course not" Sean answered "That's not what really worries me though"

"Right the point is that Faison has simply eliminated the obstacle that now allows him to go after the thing that he really wants" Robert said

Although he didn't say it, everyone in the room knew he was referring to Anna.

Sometime later, Anna and Sean were showing Robert the evidence they'd gathered against Faison, they'd spent a couple days coming up with everything that they could remember and the pile of evidence was pretty extensive.

Robert was reading through one of the files "This guy seems to have led a pretty colorful life"

"Yep, everything in that file is at least thirteen years old" Sean informed him

"This bit here about the peninsula the village, is that true?" Robert asked, referring to one of the files he was currently reading

"Yeah, he bragged about it" Anna answered

"And what about conducting chemical warfare experiments on his own men?"

"Now one of them was a double agent" Sean confirmed "He was working for me"

Anna groan and got up from her seat on the bed "OH do we have to keep talking about this?" she asked frustrated "It is sickening"

Robert moved with her "Look as far as I'm concerned we have enough here to take to the borough, I tell them Faison's alive and they do our work for us"

"Oh Robert it isn't going to stop there" Anna insisted

Sean agreed standing from his seat in the chair y the bed "Everything in that file are secrets that Anna and I kept for thirteen years, now the WSB is gonna wanna know your source"

Anna touched the file Robert was holding in his hand "It's our death certificate right there"

"Won't happen, I'll keep you out of it" Robert shrugged

"As soon as Faison knows that we've betrayed him he's not gonna take the fall alone" Anna said

"Yeah he starts pointing fingers and they go right at us" Sean added

"Oh come on, you think the bureau is gonna take the word of a sleaze ball over two of their own?" Robert asked

"Will you come off it?" Sean retorted "Loyalty has never been one of the bureau's strong suits and you know it"

"The whole thing is too risky" Anna was beginning to regret bringing Robert into her problems

"It's too risky for all of us" Sean said "And do you realize the kind of heat that you're gonna get to reveal your source?" He asked Robert

Anna began to pace again, suddenly feeling the pressure of everything again "I don't wanna do this it's just wrong it's not working"

"What else would you like to do?" asked Robert

"You don't have anything to do with these problems" Anna said "Why don't you just let Sean and I clean it up?"

"And how are you gonna do that?" Robert asked

Anna took a deep breath "We're gonna go after Faison"

"Look the object of the exercise is to keep Robin and the both of you out of this" Robert fired back at her

"But you can't keep us out of it we're already into it" Sean said siding with Anna "I agree with Anna, we go after him"

"You know what enough" Robert said, his voice rising "We've wasted enough time with this conversation. We deal with this man before he does something else to us"

* * *

Anna moved through Wyndemere furious. After getting home from a long day at the hospital, she'd found Robin excited about a letter she had received. A letter from the author P.K Sinclair which happened to be Faison's alias. In the letter he'd wrote that he wanted to collaborate on a story with Robin about Casey the alien.

Anna knew that it was a diversion to get closer to the both of them. That's why she was at Wyndemere; she was going to tell him to stay away from herself and her daughter. Walking into the study she immediately spotted Faison sitting behind his desk smoking of those signature cigarettes.

Faison turned to face Anna when he heard her walk in "Anna my dear, how lovely it is to see you on this beautiful day" he said to her

Anna however was not in the mood for small talk, already on edge by just being in the same room as the man, all she wanted to do was leave.

"What is this?" she asked, holding up the medium sized white envelope Faison had sent to her daughter

"Well I see Robin has gotten my letter" Faison replied, not entirely answering her question

"I thought I told you to leave me and my daughter alone"

Faison began to stand "Well I just thought of an excellent opportunity for Robin to write a beautiful story, tell me Anna what is the harm in that?" he asked

Anna moved in a little closer to the man standing in front of her "I am obviously not making myself clear" she stated "I want you to stay away from my daughter AND me."

Faison didn't seem to be affected by Anna's steely tone "I don't think that's fair, you know I would never harm either one of you" he said calmly "We made a bargain, and I will keep my end of it, as I'm sure you will" he added referring to the deal he had made with Anna and Robert a few weeks prior

Anna didn't comment on the last part "You knew I wouldn't let this happen, what kind of game are you playing?" she asked him

Faison shook his head "I am not playing any game Anna, no game at all"

"What does that mean?" she asked

Anna hated how Faison made her feel, she couldn't explain how she was drawn to the man. But she knew that she hated him.

She hated the air he breathed, the ground he walked on, the clothes he wore, the cigars he smoked, the way he looked at her like she was his possession. Everything.

She watched as Faison moved past her over to the small bar, he poured himself a drink and began to pour a second one

"I don't want a drink" she said to him before he could finish "What are you still doing here? I thought you were going to leave Port Charles"

"I still have some personal business to do Anna"

"But you said you were gonna leave, we made a bargain didn't we?" she said to him

Faison held up Anna's drink to her "Yes we did, and your alien friend got his crystal back" he said to her "And I'm stuck here I didn't receive anything"

"You didn't ask for anything"

Faison smirked, he loved how Anna was pretending to not understand him, it made their little romance a lot more interesting "Oh yes I did, but I didn't think it was necessary to put into simple words. Our eyes spoke of it so eloquently" He said, bringing a finger up to stroke the side of her face

She took a step back "What are you talking about?"

"Fate Anna, Fate."

He took a step towards her now holding both their drinks in his hand "The fate that reunited us after thirteen long years" he said before handing her her drink

Anna took a long sip from her glass and held it close to her before speaking again "Don't do this" she whispered, pleading with Faison to let his sick obsession go.

"You can see what we can have together, and you proved it when you came back to me"

"I came ba- I mean I came here because of Casey" she responded

"You may say that but you know better, we made a bargain Anna" he took a sip of his drink "And whether you like it or not you sealed the deal by putting on Davnee's dress"

"Davnee doesn't exist! She isn't real!" Anna exclaimed exasperated "Why do you keep talking about her? I'm real."

"Yes she's real, she's always been real. But we can make an end to that, you just say when." He stepped closer again towards her, invading her space

"And how do you suppose we do that?" she asked

Faison leaned in the kiss Anna, just before his lips touched hers he whispered "My Anna"


	6. Chapter 6 - Goose Bumps and Foggy Minds

**Chapter Six**

Anna couldn't get the conversation she just had with Faison, or that kiss out of her head. How could he really expect for the two of them to be together? It was sick and disgusting. She hated the man and everything he had done to her and her relationship with Robert.

Stepping onto the docks after leaving Wyndemere Anna began to shiver, whether it was because of her encounter with Faison or the cool summer night she couldn't tell. What she did notice though was Robert standing at the end of the dock seemingly arguing with one of the work men.

Robert spotted Anna as she was moving closer to the men, after dismissing the work man he walked up to her "Are you alright" he asked immediately noticing the goose bumps on her skin.

"Yeah I'm fine, what happened at the bureau? Anything" she answered then asked

Robert removed his jacket and gave it to Anna to wear "What happened was that they shut me out. You were out there with him right?" he asked her

Anna evaded his question "Did Ross say anything to you?" she said instead, referring to the man Robert was supposed to meet today

"Anna what's going on here, what's this about a collaboration with Robin" Robert was tired of the back and forth, he hated when Anna avoided his questions because it usually meant he wouldn't like the answers

"She told you about that?"

"Yeah she's gonna be working with a famous author" Robert said frustrated

"No no no she's not, he's um he… Faison is calling in his markers right now"

"Meaning?"

Anna swallowed. She knew Robert wasn't going to like what she was going to say next "That he, he wants me to get to know him better or something" she said

Robert felt his blood begin to boil, that man was trying to take advantage of Anna again and he wasn't about to let it happen "Over my dead body" he said beginning to walk towards to boats "I'll swim out there if I have to"

"No no don't Robert" Anna exclaimed pulling him back towards her

"What else went on out there?" Robert accused her before he could think about his words

"What? Nothing" Anna answered "I don't wanna talk about this here, can we go somewhere?"

Robert sighed "Let's go to the club, come on"

* * *

Anna was more frustrated by the time they got to the back room of Delafield's than she had been on the island. She and Robert had argued the whole way there about her going out to see Faison and not telling him.

"I know I shouldn't have gone out there but I did so stop going on about it and just listen to what happened" she shouted over Roberts's constant rambling

"How in the hell could you have been so reckless Anna?" he shouted back

Anna breathed "I panicked when I saw the letter"

"Why would he break his word like that?" Robert asked mirroring her now calmer tone

"You broke yours" she replied simply "He found out that you'd gone snooping around about Desiree's death, he's not gonna lay low after something like that"

"Is that what he said?" Robert asked "Is that the reason he wants Robin, to tell her about the truth?"

"No!"

"Then what the bloody hell does he want Anna?!" Robert asked, his voice and temper beginning to rise again

Anna sighed and began to pace around the room running her hands through her hair "He just, he wants his Davnee" she said

"Well she doesn't exist" Robert emphasized

"Yes she does, she's me" Anna countered

"Then he's out of his mind!"

"Robert the more we keep pushing him the more determined he is to fight back" Anna tried explaining to Robert, moving closer to him so she could lower her voice "But that's why I think if I just go along with him then we can solve all this"

"You're not going back out there" Robert said in a stern tone

The thought of Anna anywhere near that man made his skin crawl his blood boil and his hair turn gray all at the same time.

Neither of them heard Katherine walking up to the door, but she heard them. It was hard not to hear the shouting from the back, and as she got closer to the room Katherine knew for sure she wasn't going to like this conversation.

"But Robert-" Anna tried

"I said no!" Robert interrupted "Now listen we've done this your way so far and it's gotten us nowhere now I call the shots"

"No!" Anna yelled

"I said no Anna!" Robert yelled again feeling the familiar headache of arguing with Anna begin to creep up "Thirteen years ago, thirteen years ago this guy on that… on that wretched island split us up, well it's not gonna happen again"

Kate's stomach dropped at hearing Robert say that.

"He's not Robert, I'm right here I'm not going anywhere" Anna pleaded pulling at his arm for him to listen

"Yeah and I'm gonna make bloody sure of it"

"I don't want you anywhere near Faison Robert; he hates you more than anything"

"Well I'm not too fond of the man either Anna" Robert said shrugging her off and moving towards the door

"Where are you going?" she yelled after him

"I'm going to pay this man a visit and get things straightened out"

Anna ran towards him and pulled him back to her "Robert no can you please just leave it alone? He isn't going to take me away from you. I'm right here I'm not going anywhere. We have to do this together"

"Anna" Robert breathed hoarsely

"That's going to be the difference this time" she whispered to him "Last time we weren't working together, but this time we are. We can take Faison down and not lose ourselves in the process"

* * *

Robert closed the door to the cottage behind him as he walked in, Frisco told him that Katherine had left early claiming she was tired. He was tired too, after meeting with the bureau and arguing with Anna about Faison he was ready for a long shower and a warm sleep.

Moving over to the kitchen he got a beer out of the refrigerator and sipped it

Kate walked down the steps to greet Robert a few minutes later, Robert smiled at his fiancé "Hey, I was looking for you at the club"

"Yeah I left early, I wanted to see you" Kate said, trying to hide the emotion in her voice

"That's the best offer I've heard all night" Robert said walking towards her "What's up?" he asked

"I heard you and Anna talking in my dressing room, and I would just like to hear more"

Robert took a step back and picked up his beer, he hadn't heard Katherine outside the room when he and Anna were arguing, but then again how could he have heard anything over their shouting at one another?

"This is going to sound very complicated to you" he tried to begin

Kate shook her head "Oh no, everything sounds entirely crystal clear"

"I think you've misunderstood" Robert replied setting his beer back down and moving them both over to the couch

"Explain it to me then"

"Well I, I can't" Robert said after a moment of thought

"You won't" Kate corrected "Robert what is going on with you and Anna?" she asked as blatantly as she could without accusation "I'd like to hear it from you before I hear it from someone else"

"There really isn't a whole lot to tell"

"Don't you care about me at all?!" Kate exclaimed growing more and more angry

"Yes!" Robert shouted back

"Then why won't you tell me?"

"Because I can't" Robert repeated himself again, he knew Katherine was growing tired of that line but he didn't have another answer to give her "You're gonna have to accept that"

"On faith?"

"Yeah and me and us"

Kate shook her head "I just don't seem to feel an us anymore"

"Look what we're dealing with here is old, very old family business. As soon as I've taken care of it we'll get married like we shoulda done months ago"

"Old family business is that all it is?"

"Yes"

"You swear?" Kate prodded

"I've never lied to you" Robert replied

"Then can you answer for me one question please?" Kate said "This man that you're after, is this the man that broke you and Anna up thirteen years ago?"

After a few moments Robert replied "Yes"

"I really wish you would have told me that before" Kate said moving off the couch and turning away from Robert

"Would it have made things easier?" he asked

"Yes! Yes, everything would have made so much more sense"

"In that case I wish I'd told you" Robert said, apologizing "Are you easy with this now?"

Kate's voice grew quiet "Yeah I think I am, I think I understand everything better" she snifled "I really don't think we need to worry about making the wedding plans"

"Why?"

"Because there's not gonna be a wedding"

"No wedding?" Robert asked confused "You can't mean that"

"I do" Kate reassured him "I can't believe I said it"

"Why? I mean we love each other" Robert said

"You're the first and only man I've ever loved" Kate agreed

"Then why are you doing this?"

"Why are you so hell bent on destroying this man who broke up your marriage thirteen years ago?" Although a part of her didn't want to know the answer Kate asked anyway

Robert sighed "I can't tell you that"

Kate nodded "I can" she said "The sheer simplicity of it has just eluded us all; you're still in love with Anna"

"What?" Robert said "Anna and me? That's preposterous" he tried convincing Kate, he had to admit to himself that ever since Sean's confession, he'd been thinking about the past and wondering how things would have been if he and Anna had stayed together, but that did not mean he was in love with her

"No its not" Kate said shaking her head "The fact of the matter is that you're still in love with and, you're still committed to Anna, and that's the real truth behind all of this, you can't even admit it to yourself"

"It isn't true" Robert countered

"Oh would you please stop denying this"

"There's nothing to deny because it isn't true. Anna and I we were over a long time ago"

"Doesn't seem like that to me" Kate replied, shrugging Robert off as he tried to reach for her

"Look this guy on this island is a very dangerous man; Anna and I are just trying to get rid of him before he does any more damage to us"

"What kind of damage has he done?" Kate asked, when Robert didn't reply she continued "He wrecked your perfect fantasy with Anna and you want to get rid of him before he has a chance to do it again" she said simply

* * *

Robert found himself on Anna's doorstep and hour after Katherine gave him her ring back and left the cottage. He didn't know why he was there or even what made him come here.

That fact that he was running to Anna after his break up with Katherine BECAUSE of Anna didn't escape him. He knew Katherine was wrong in her accusations, he wasn't in love with his ex-wife, that ship had sailed a long time ago. They had both tucked their feelings away in a safe place in their hearts never to be touched again. That didn't change the fact however that Anna was his best friend.

He started knocking on the door before he could change his mind and go back home, he knew Anna was probably asleep by now but he just needed to talk to her. When she finally opened the door, Anna looked at him with surprise and confusion, which he was expecting.

"Sorry about the late hour" Robert said as he moved past Anna into her home

Anna closed the door behind Robert "What's happened? Faison?" she asked

Robert shook his head "No not him"

"Well where's Katherine?" Anna asked, wondering why Robert came here instead of home to his finance

Robert sighed "She called off the engagement"

Anna was shocked "Why?" she asked

Robert shrugged "She wouldn't say" he lied, he knew he shouldn't have but decided that Anna didn't need the burden of his break up on top of everything else at the moment

"Oh come on Robert she had to have said something" Anna said leading him to the couch

Robert sat down and Anna began to undue his tie for him "She didn't, all she said was she was tired of it all"

"Tired of what?" Anna asked

She felt sorry for Robert, she knew he loved Katherine and had been happy to see him finally move on after Holly's death.

"I don't know she wouldn't say" Robert said again

"I'm sorry" Anna said

"For what?" he asked

"Cause I know why, she feels left out and thinks we're keeping secrets, every time she turns around we're together and she's watching from the outside. That was bound to take its toll sometime" Anna explained to him

Robert closed his eyes and rested his head back on the couch "Got anything to drink?" he asked changing the subject

Anna sighed, she'd always known Robert to avoid what he was feeling "Yeah I'll go get us a couple drinks" she said to him before getting up and leaving the room to the kitchen

Robert took the time while Anna was gone to sit and think about the events of the night, not only was he already on edge from his meeting with the WSB, Anna had gone and made it worse by insisting on playing Faison's sick game. The icing on the cake was Katherine giving her engagement ring back to him.

He supposed if he was being honest with himself, he should have seen it coming. Katherine was technically left at the alter because of his devotion to his ex-wife, he left her to go to Scotland with Anna days later and ever since they've been back he'd been completely preoccupied.

Anna came back a few minutes later with two glasses and a bottle of bourbon in her hands "I hope this'll do" she said referring to the drink

Robert looked up and smiled when he saw the dark liquid "that's exactly what I need right now"

Anna chuckled and sat down beside Robert and began to pour them both two fingers each, when she handed him his drink, Robert sipped it in silence for a while just staring at his ex-wife, he understood why Katherine might think he still had feelings for her. Anna was a beautiful woman and always seemed to know just how to take care of him.

"So what are you gonna do?" Anna asked Robert after a few moments of silence

Robert sighed "What can I do?" he counter asked

Anna shrugged "You can go find Katherine and tell her how much you love her"

"She doesn't want to hear that right now" Robert replied, even if he did try she would just say he loved Anna more.

"How would you know that?" she asked "You don't even know why you broke up"

Robert chuckled dryly "So what do you suggest I do?"

Anna jumped up and pulled Robert up in front of her "Get up"

"Watch it" he said trying not to spill his drink all over his suit

She grabbed his lapels and pulled him close enough where she could feel the heat ruminating off his body "You have to go up to Katherine and pull her close just like this" she said

Almost instinctively Robert hands rose to rest on her waist "She isn't going to fall for this"

Anna shook her head in disagreement "Trust me she will" she said "Tell her you love her"

Robert voice grew hoarse "She knows I love her"

"Run your hands through her hair" she replied, as if she hadn't heard Robert speak. Anna lifted her left hand and ran her fingers through Roberts hair "Woman love this stuff" she added with a small smile

"What else?"

"Then you tell her all the little stuff you like" Anna answered reaching her other hand up to cup Robert's face "All the things that she never thought you'd notice"

Anna's eyes glossed over, like she was a million miles away, or a million years in the past.

He could smell her scent with every pore in his body; he could feel her with every limb although he was barely touching her. Being this close to Anna always fogged up his mind. Made him forget what he was doing.

Every single time.

"Anna" he whispered hoarsely, instinct urging him to close the small gap between them.

"Hmm?" she asked, seemingly lost in her own fantasies

"I should go" he said, and immediately dropped his hands and took a step back

Taken out of her trance Anna looked confused "Are you going to find Katherine?" she asked

Robert shook his head before grabbing his coat and shrugging it on "No I um, I'm going to let her have some space for the night then in the morning I'll find her"

"Okay, if you think that's best" Anna shrugged before finishing the drink she had previously poured for herself.

"Tell Robin I said I'll be by tomorrow to see her" he added right before opening the door

"Okay, have a good night" Anna said before leaning up and planting a kiss on his cheek

"You too luv" Robert replied before walking out the door and hearing it shut behind him.


	7. Chapter 7 - Pop Ups and Lighters

**Special Operation**

**Chapter 7 **

Anna opened the door to her house the next morning to find Robert once again at her door step, but unlike last night he looked clean shaven and ready to tackle the day's activities. "Well you look awfully good for a man whose life fell to pieces last night"

Robert walked in with a smile, after a good night's rest he was ready to deal with his problems "How am I supposed to look?" he asked

"Well I don't know, not like that" Anna said smoothing out his jacket "Did you speak to Kate?"

"Um no not yet" Robert said with a guilty look on his face, Kate was supposed to be his next stop after Anna's

"Well you know you have to right?" Anna asked

"Yes I know and I will. Right now I'm here to talk about our problems. I don't like the idea of you on that island with that man Anna" he said

"Well too bad because we agreed on it last night" she replied simply

"No we didn't"

"Yes we did"

"No we didn't, not technically" Robert insisted

"Well it doesn't matter because we are going to do this my way now. I've made up my mind Robert and I want to do this" Anna said putting her foot down. She hated when Robert treated her as if she couldn't handle a case

Before Robert could reply, Robin came running into the room excited barely noticing he was there "Mom mom guess what!" she exclaimed

"What's happened darling" Anna asked taking her attention away from her ex-husband

"Oh hi dad" Robin said to Robert before answering Anna

"Oh hello"  
"Mr. Sinclair is on the phone and he wants to invite me and you to a picnic this afternoon on spoon island to talk about the book" she continued

"A lot of crawly things there this time of the year" Robert said under his breath

"Mom he called me 'fellow author' he said he wants to talk about our book, isn't that great?"

"Well yes it is, I think Mr. Sinclair is reading my mind" Anna replied with a thoughtful look

"Does that mean we can go?" Robin asked excitedly

"Yes it does" Anna answered, ignoring Robert rebuttal's she went on "You just tell Mr. Sinclair that we are very happy to accept his invitation"

"Anna what the hell did I just finish saying to you?!" Robert quietly exclaimed after Robin left the room to talk to 'Mr. Sinclair'

"Oh shush Robert" Anna said turning around to see if Robin had heard "I told you we are doing this my way now"

Anna had to admit, she loved having Robert around. He was her best friend, sometimes she even believed they were soul mates, but times like this when he was being too stubborn and overprotective to listen to reason she really didn't love having him around so much.

"And I told you no. I do not want you or Robin anywhere near that man." He insisted

"Well until you come up with a way to get rid of him, this is how it's going to be"

Before Robert could reply, Robin came back into the living room from having her conversation with Faison "Mom, would it be too pushy if I told Mr. Sinclair all my ideas for the book?" she asked

"I don't think it's possible to be too pushy around Mr. Sinclair" Robert mumbled

"Maybe I should just listen to him and find out how he thinks the book should be written" Robin continued

"Maybe you should stay home" Robert suggested

Anna shook her head "Nonsense we're not staying home" she said "We'll be just fine"

"Yeah all we're gonna do is talk about the book" Robin agreed

"Right all we're gonna do is talk about the book" Anna repeated, giving Robert a look

"And I'll bet he's got a few dandy ideas for the finish" Robert said sarcastically

"Sweetheart I want you to tell Mr. Sinclair all your ideas about the book because I'm sure he'll be very interested" Anna said to Robin before urging her to get dressed. After she left the room once again Anna and Robert started going at it again

"You be careful" Anna hissed "She's very sharp"

"That's exactly what I'm worried about" Robert replied, mirroring Anna's tone

"He's not gonna say anything to her because I'm going to be sitting next to her the whole time"

"Fine, but I'm still a little uneasy about you being on the island with that individual" Robert stated a little more harshly than he intended

"Well you're just going to have to get used to it because we're going" Anna said moving past her ex-husband

* * *

Both Anna and Robin were escorted to the picnic area on Spoon Island by Jacques, Faison's right hand man. Although she felt uneasy about this whole thing, Anna didn't let Robin know it.

"Mr. Sinclair made sure he had only the best for his guests today" Jacques said, referring to the buffet table of food and drinks they were now standing in front of

"Where is he? We haven't seen him since we got here" Anna asked

"He'll be here shortly" Jacques assured "Is there anything else I can get you?"

"No I think Mr. Sinclair has thought of everything" Anna said

Jacques smiled "He always does" he said before turning and leaving to go back inside the house

"Boy this stuff is tempting" Robin said admiring the spread

Anna had to admit, it was lovely "Yes, he's obviously trying to impress you very much"

"He doesn't need all this for that" Robin stated "Just the idea of writing a book about Casey with him is enough"

Anna shrugged

"Aren't you excited?" Robin asked her mom

"Well no, I'm happy that Casey's gone home though" Anna replied matter of factly

"Mom, is Mr. Sinclair really as good of a writer that everyone says he is?" Robin asked

"Well I don't know, he always gets good reviews" Anna answered, she hated the fact that her daughter seemed to be fascinated by this man

"I don't know why you won't let me read his stuff" Robin huffed "Is it like those X-rated things, you know" she winked

Anna chuckled "No it's not like that, I just don't think you should be reading stuff for entertainment at your age you should be educating yourself" she lied

"Mom you know it would be nice if I was able to tell him that I like how he writes"

"Well I don't think it matters really" Anna said before Faison interrupted their conversation

"On a day like this, how could anyone mind anything?" Faison asked walking up to them "Especially when the company is so lovely"

Anna pulled Robin close to her "We'd both like to thank you for inviting us"

"Well it's my honor and my pleasure" he replied, turning to Robin he began to speak to her "Perhaps your mother will indulge us, why don't you start out with a truffle or two Robin"

Robin looked at Anna with excitement in her eyes "May I?' she asked

Anna shrugged "Yeah you'll make yourself sick but go ahead"

Robin chuckled before thanking her mom and moving away from the two elders to the buffet table

Faison lit a cigar and took a pull oblivious to Anna's eyes staring at the lighter that now held his finger prints "It's a lovely day" he said "Perfect for a picnic, don't you agree?" he asked Anna

"I thought it might rain" Anna replied dryly

* * *

A few hours later, Robin and Anna returned home to find Robert pacing their living room waiting for them. Once again, Anna found herself not liking him around so much

"I really have to hide my spare key better" she mumbled to herself when they walked in

"Dad what are you still doing here?" Robin asked excited to still see her father at her home. She didn't get to see him as often as she would if her parents were together, so she cherished these moments

"Oh thought I'd drop by and see my two favorite ladies, how did the picnic go?" he asked them

"Oh it was awesome" Robin began "There was six kinds of everything there, and Mr. Sinclair showed us the place where he found Casey's crystal, and he was asking me all kinds of questions about how I think we should write the book" she rambled

Robert gave Anna a look that Robin didn't see "Well I hope mommy's day was just as productive"

"Yeah" Anna answered "Sweetheart don't you think you should go and wash up? And take special care of the arms because of the poison Ivy"

"I'll tell you all about it later daddy" Robin said before heading towards the bathroom "Gotta tell ya, Mr. Sinclair is the greatest"

"Wonderful, my kids latest role model is a mass murderer" Robert said once Robin was out of earshot

Anna smirked "Don't start" she warned "Look I got it, a lighter with his fingerprints all over it"

"Are you sure it's his?" Robert asked

"Yes I'm sure"

"Good, at the risk of a bad pun maybe this will give us the upper hand" Robert said taking the lighter wrapped in a napkin from Anna "I'll talk to you the minute I have the report


End file.
